1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cutting surfaces and, more specifically, multifunctional cutting surface. The cutting surface device of the present invention is designed to replace the traditional kitchen cutting board with a more practical cutting surface, performing a variety of functions and increasing the efficiency of the end user. The present invention consists of multiple pieces that make the entire unit as a whole.
The foundation of the entire unit as a whole is the base. The base unit is a shell, designed to stabilize the cutting surfaces and act as a universal receiver of all other pieces. The base unit is made up of a three-sided shell. The inner section of this shell is grooved with a track for means of inserting the variety of holding containers that support a specific surface. The base is designed to act as the primary receiver of multiple and interchangeable cutting surfaces. Each surface is fitted with notched grooves, one in each of the four corners of each surface. These grooves act as the female receiver for metal rods extending from the base unit that match up symmetrically with each groove found on the belly of the cutting top. These secure the unit as a whole, preventing any shifting or lateral movements of the surface while attached to the base.
The first of a variety of surfaces that are interchangeable with the main base unit are as follows. The first is xe2x80x9cthe porousxe2x80x9d cutting top, consisting of a surface made of tiny holes that allow food juices to pass the board into a receiving receptacle. This cutting surface is used when working with any food products that tend to purge fluids. The top allows the juices from the food product to pass through the cutting board instead of running off the side. This particular surface also relies on a hard, plastic tube plate that directs the purged fluids into a holding receptacle. The plate fits snugly into the bottom portion of the cutting surface and top portion of the holding container. For each hole in the cutting surface and holding container there is a matching tube on the plate. Each hole at the top of the holding container is fitted with a one-way, resealable rubber piece, that allows the tube to penetrate the container""s surface and deposit liquid, but not dispense its contents. The holding receptacle is fitted with a removable cap that allows the user to pour out any liquid accumulated in the unit.
The next cutting surface is referred to as the xe2x80x9ctrap doorxe2x80x9d cutting surface. The function of this work surface is for general purposes (i.e., chopping, dicing, slicing, etc.). The function of the trap door is to allow the user to quickly remove products (waste or useable trimmings) from the cutting surface. This enables the end user to save steps when transferring products from the cutting surface into a separate unit. This also eliminates the user from having to lift the entire cutting unit, like a platter, and scrape the contents into a separate receptacle. This cutting surface has a flip-top shell that allows the user to slide product or waste neatly into a holding container underneath the cutting surface. The holding container is secured within the base unit of the cutting board itself and is designed to slide into and out of the base unit to empty and fill as necessary.
The third cutting surface is the xe2x80x9cbutcher blockxe2x80x9d cutting top. The unique function of this surface is that it is designed to keep the surface of the cutting top cold while working with perishable foods. The cutting surface contains a thin, metal plate that is exposed on the belly of the cutting surface. This metal plate is then encased with material suitable for cutting purposes. Under the belly of the cutting surface, attached to the base is a refreezable ice pack that contacts the thin metal plate at the belly of the cutting top, acting as a conductor allowing the surface to remain cold. The cold pack like the other containers slides into the universal shell with the base unit and can be slipped in and out as necessary.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other cutting surface devices designed to improve the cutting of products. Typical of these in U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,115 issued to Schom on Mar. 31, 1992.
Another patent was issued to Benjamin on Nov. 22, 1994 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,208. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,009 was issued to Mertz on Jan. 17, 1995 and still yet another was issued on Feb. 7, 1995 to Ladwig et al. as U.S. Pat. No. 5,386,978.
Another patent was issued to Gibson et al on Jun. 18, 1996 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,022. Another patent was issued to Bidwell et al on Aug. 20, 1996 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,852. Another patent was issued to Beres et al on Aug. 11, 1998 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,479. Another patent was issued to Collins et al on May 18, 1999 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,271. Another patent was issued to Kletter et al on Aug. 19, 1999 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,185. Another patent was issued to Bogomolny et al on Nov. 16, 1999 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,294. Another patent was issued to Makowski et al on Feb. 22, 2000 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,026,972.
A cutting board with a planar cutting surface and one or more generally vertical retaining members extending upward from and perpendicular to the cutting surface, the retaining members thereby defining a vertical retention surface. The vertical retaining members may be in the form of solid wall shoulders at each end to accommodate a knife handle, a wall with a notch to permit cutting pendicular to the retention surface, or a plurality of pegs which may be arranged in various positions on the cutting board.
A cutting board system provides both a cutting board and a drip pan tray for receiving juices and trimmings which are cut from food particles. The cutting board mounts directly within a drip pan tray and is provided with at least one notch whereby juices may flow into the tray below. The tray is provided with a pour system to provide convenient cutting, serving and pouring of the food to be served.
A portable hinged cutting board with drawer for recreational use, such as the popular picnic, is presented having a housing 10 with a folding extension 11 attached by a hinge means 12 to the top edge along the length of the housing 10. The folding extension 11 corresponds in length and width with top of the housing thereby when folded in a closed position it is adjacent to the upper surface of the housing top 10a. The housing 10 can generally be described as having a rectangular top 10a two short sides 10b one long side 10c thereby forming a compartment 10e. A drawer 13 fits snugly into the compartment 10e and is of such a width that when positioned inside as in the closed position the outer wall 13a of the drawer 13 is flush with the edges of the housing 10. The drawer is held in the closed position inside the housing by a fastening means 18 thereby preventing the drawer from opening during transport. The drawer 13 is extended as far as possible until it is restricted by a stopping means 19 from removal from the housing 10. The folding extension 11 is rotated along the axis of the hinge 12 resting in a position on top of the drawer 13 thereby doubling the area available for food preparation by combining the upper surface of the housing top 10a and the adjacent surface 11a of the folding extension 11 which are aligned on the same plane forming a cutting xe2x80x9cboardxe2x80x9d area.
A cutting board which is substantially rectangular in shape and made of a polymer material such as polyethylene. The cutting board includes a handle at one end, and an inner groove surrounding three of the edges and the handle on an upper portion of the cutting board. A living hinge extends across a lower portion of the cutting board to provide for movement of the lower portion of the cutting board. The movement or the lower portion of the cutting board is particularly useful for sweeping cut objects, such as vegetables, meats or other objects into a bowl or a pan. An alternative embodiment discloses a locking tab for fixing the upper and lower rectangular portion with respect to each other.
A food preparation assembly is disclosed which includes a carving board unit including a carving platform having a substantially planar carving surface with a collection channel defined therein extending about the periphery of the carving surface to collect drippings for separation into fat and juice, and a cutting board unit including an upper cutting surface and a lower undersurface. At least two parallel flanges depend from the undersurface of the cutting board unit which are dimensioned and configured to engage the collection channel in the carving platform to stabilize the cutting board unit during utilization.
A combination cutting board and storage container is disclosed. The combination cutting board and storage container can be used for food processing and storage purposes, for fishing bait and tackle processing and storage purposes, and for many other purposes. A storage container in the form of a bin has an opening at the top. The cutting board is formed so that it can fit over the opening. Attachment means are preferably provided for holding the cutting board to the bin. A handle is provided for carrying the combination cutting board and storage bin. The handle is preferably in the form of an arc which extends approximately from one end of the bin to the other. The handle, the side members, and the bin are preferably comprised of polyethylene foam or some other lightweight foam material.
A chopping board system comprising a chopping board member having a substantially planar chopping surface, defined by a perimeter edge and a leg connecting surface; two latitudinal leg members extending from the leg connecting surface and sized such that when the chopping board member is supported on a planar surface by the leg members, the chopping board surface is oriented in parallel with the planar surface. A tab-in-slot connecting mechanism to temporarily hold purpose built collection hoppers at either end of the chopping board surface, one hopper being for the collection of chopped food and the other hopper being for the collection of cut scrap food. The two hoppers are similar in that their openings are dimensioned in a way as to make the upper edge of the hoppers no higher than the surface of the cutting board and so that their width be no greater than the width of the cutting surface. This close mating of the hoppers and the chopping board facilitates the easy and clean removal of the chopped food from the cutting surface to the hoppers. The two hoppers differ in that the chopped food hopper has relatively high angled walls that form a chute, which allows the chopped food to be poured easily from the chopped food hopper. The pouring chute also incorporates a series of horizontal graduate lines, which allow the hopper to be used as a measuring device.
The present invention relates to a new and improved cutting board assembly comprising a base component having a substantially rectangular cutting surface with two opposing side walls depending therefrom. The area between the cutting surface and side walls define an interior chamber. The cutting surface has a plurality of apertures aligned in substantially parallel rows which are received within longitudinal channels having downwardly converging sidewalls for directing juices produced from cut food items into the apertures. A hollow cylindrical conduit is in fluid communication with the apertures and the interior chamber. Slidably received within the interior chamber of the base component is a drawer type collection tray which may be easily removed therefrom for receiving juices from the conduits. The base component also has a pair of substantially C-shaped support members each attached to an opposing side wall for elevating the cutting surface a predetermined distance from a table or kitchen counter. The C-shaped support members also provide a surface on which the drip tray rests when received within the interior chamber and on which the tray slides when inserted or removed therefrom.
A cutting board assembly comprises a grid base member and a selectively removable surface layer. Both the base member and the surface layer are composed of a material suited for food service. The base has a flat level upper surface. The selectively removable skin layer is received over the base to provide a replaceable cutting surface thereto. The surface includes a downwardly extending skirt to provide a snug fit about the perimeter of the base. A curb extends upwardly from the cutting surface adjacent an outer edge thereof to provide a trap for inhibiting food or juices from sliding off the cutting surface. At least a portion of the cutting surface outer edge is free of the curb to enable the sliding transfer of food to and from the surface.
A debris receptacle for attachment to a cutting board comprising: a bag holding frame, a U-shaped backstop and attached legs, and a leg holding plate. The bag holding frame being rectangular and made of rigid material such as molded plastic or metal and capable of retaining a standard plastic bag of the sort used when purchasing fruits and vegetables at a food market. The U-shaped backstop being made of rigid material such as plastic or metal and having an internal ledge for supporting the bag holding frame and also having parallel extension legs extending horizontally from the ends of each side of the U-shaped backstop. The leg holding plate being fixedly attached to the underside of a standard cutting board. The leg holding plate having a pair of flanges located at each parallel edge for releasably retaining the parallel extension legs of the U-shaped backstop.
The present invention discloses a cutting board having multiple cutting surfaces for use in different applications. A porous cutting surface is used when working with any food product that tends to purge fluids. This top allows the natural juices from the food product to pass through the cutting board via holes and into a holding container, rather than running off the sides. A trap door cutting surface is for general use with a wide variety of purposes. The trap door allows the user to quickly remove products from the cutting surface via a hole and send directly into the holding container. A cold cutting surface comprises a cutting surface with a thin metal conductor plate within it, that when placed over a provided ice gel pack maintains a cool temperature while being worked on.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a cutting surface providing multiple functions increasing the efficiency of the user.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cutting surface consisting of multiple pieces that make up the entire unit as a whole.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an interchangeable cutting surface consisting of three cutting surfaces, a tube plate, holding container a base unit and a cold pack surface.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a cutting surface that interconnects all pieces. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a cutting surface that fluids released from the product being cut may drain into a holding container via top cutting surface drain holes or trap door.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a cutting surface providing multiple functions increasing the efficiency of the user and consisting of multiple pieces that make up the entire unit as a whole. Also providing an interchangeable cutting surface consisting of three cutting surfaces, a tube plate, holding container and base unit.
Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a cutting surface providing an interchangeable cutting surface consisting of three cutting surfaces, a tube plate, holding container and base unit. And providing a cutting surface that fluids released from the product being cut may drain into a holding container via top cutting surface drain holes or trap door.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawings, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views.
The following detailed description, is therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claim.